


Island in the Sun

by tiffaniesblews



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ember Island (Avatar), F/M, Late Night Conversations, Past Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Pre-Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25027165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiffaniesblews/pseuds/tiffaniesblews
Summary: The night after the Ember Island Players, Katara practices at the beach, the only place where she can think and practice her waterbending moves. When Zuko joins her, also unable to sleep, the two have a conversation about their feelings towards their loved ones... and each other.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 182





	Island in the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you want a certain type of fic and you just need to write it yourself!
> 
> Title comes from Weezer's "Island in the Sun"

Katara was where she always felt the most comfortable: by the ocean. 

She stood knee deep in the water, practicing her waterbending, perfecting each move. She made waves taller than where she stood, pushing the current away from her. She felt the water pulse around her, giving it life with every movement.

Over and over, she played the day over in her mind. That stupid Ember Island Players play. Her conversation with Aang. Aang kissing her.

Katara dropped the water she was controlling.  _ Crap.  _

Shaking her head, she started again, focusing on the water around her. Gathering the water at her fists, she threw a ball of water, reminding her of a snowball. Jumping up, she quickly froze the water before she landed; she ran, freezing the surface of the water as she did. Finally, she slid across the ice, using her foot to push the water in front of her, as though kicking it from under her. She slid too far, and landed back in the water, a bit deeper than where she was before. 

On the beach, she heard someone clapping. Turning around, she saw Zuko standing there. He gave her a small wave. Sighing, Katara waded through the water, making her way to the edge.

“That was impressive,” Zuko told her when she finally sat down on the sand near where he was standing. “Where did you learn to do that?” 

Katara shrugged, moving her hand along her clothes and her hair, removing the droplets of water that clung to her. “I’m not sure. I never did that before.”

Zuko sat down next to her. “Well, it looked really good. You’re a very powerful bender, Katara.” 

“Thanks,” Katara mumbled, feeling herself turn red. “You’re not so bad yourself.” 

He gave her a rare smile before turning his attention back to the water. 

She looked at him. She was sitting on his right side, his scar on the other side of her. Remembering the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, Katara felt a pang in her chest. She looked away from him, staring up at the moon. 

“Full moon,” said Zuko. 

“Yeah, full moon,” replied Katara. She remembered what Zuko told her in the North Pole. “I rise with the moon.”

Zuko looked over at her. “Yeah. And I rise with the sun.” 

“Then why are you awake,” she teased, knocking her shoulder against his. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” 

“Couldn’t I say the same thing about you?” he asked her, give her a playful shove on the arm. She stuck her tongue out at him like she would for Sokka. Zuko laughed, then stuck his tongue out in return. 

“So why are you up, Sifu Hotman?” she asked him again. 

“Honestly?” he replied, looking at her. She nodded. He brought his knees to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “I keep thinking of that stupid play.” 

“Yeah, me too,” she replied, scooting closer to him. “It was just so stupid. Totally ridiculous.” 

“Agreed. But it bothered me. It made me think of all the terrible things I did. To my Uncle. To Aang. To  _ you _ .” 

Katara’s breath caught in her throat. Ever since their trip to find Yon Rha, Katara and Zuko had gotten closer. She forgave him with her whole heart, knowing that he would do anything to make it up to her. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” she told him. “I wish I could make it better for you.”

Zuko shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’m just… taking it day by day.”

“Well, if it helps, I think you’re a great person.”

He looked at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She removed her hand from his shoulder.

The two sat in silence again, the moon shining down on them. 

_ Yue,  _ thought Katara,  _ Yue if you’re listening, can you help a bit?  _

“So why are you thinking of that stupid play?” He asked her.  _ Thank you, Yue.  _

“Well… it made Aang kind of mad,” she replied.

“And that’s your problem because...?” he asked her. 

“Because… because he kissed me in between Acts.” 

Zuko sucked in a breath. “Well. That’s… good?” 

Katara scoffed. “No, no it’s not.” 

“Do you… do you want to talk about it?” 

“I’m just… I’m just so  _ confused, _ ” Katara groaned. “Confused about everything that is happening! Confused about how I feel! Aang’s kissed me before, right before we raided the Fire Nation, but I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” 

“So that scene where you guys shake hands and you tell him you think of him like a brother…?”

“Not how that went,” Katara sighed. “And that’s what made him so angry! He wasn’t able to separate the real me from that stupid portayal of me. I told him I didn’t know how I felt, that I was confused, and he didn’t  _ listen  _ to me. He still kissed me!” 

Zuko put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. “Aang really does like you. I could tell the second I joined.”

Katara sniffed. “But the thing is I  _ do  _ see him as my little brother. I don’t think I see him as anything else.” 

“Katara, it’s okay you don’t feel the same way as him,” he told her, stroking her arm with his hand. “If that’s how you feel then that’s how you feel. No shame in that, right?” 

“I guess not,” she replied. She looked back up at him. He was watching her, his eyes full of concern. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Oh, is that not what we’re already doing?” he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching. 

“Shut up,” she replied. She flicked a wrist, drawing water closer to her and splashing Zuko. 

He laughed, removing his arm from around Katara, and giving her a playful shove. She flicked her wrist again, this time snapping the water at him, which he deflected with his own flames. 

“Okay, okay,” he said finally, lying on his side, propping himself on an elbow. “What’s your secret?” 

Katara took a deep breath. “For the longest time, I did somewhat feel the same way as Aang felt. I really liked him.”

“But?”

“But after the kiss in the Fire Nation, I thought… I thought about how I would be perceived if Aang and I were together. I’d be the  _ Avatar’s girl.  _ I don’t think I’d be my own person.”

“And you don’t want to be the Avatar’s girl.” It was a statement, not a question. She glanced at him, his golden eyes glowing in the moonlight. 

“No,” Katara sighed. “No I don’t.” 

“Well, what  _ do  _ you want to be?” 

“Just… Katara.” 

“Hmm,” said Zuko. He lied down on his back, putting his hands behind his head. Katara did the same, moving herself closer to him. It was cold out, and Zuko was like a human heater. 

They stared up at the sky, the stars twinkling. There was more that Katara wanted to say, more that she wanted to tell Zuko. 

“You know,” said Zuko, “I had a girlfriend back at the Fire Nation. Her name was Mai.”

“That gloomy girl with the knives?” Katara asked.

Zuko laughed. “Yeah. You know, Sokka said the same exact thing.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” Katara replied. “So, what happened to her?”

“I left her a note when I left.” 

“Zuko, a  _ note? _ ” Katara asked, now rolling over onto her side to look at Zuko, sitting up on her elbow. “Spirits, Zuko, there are better ways to break up with a girl.” 

He turned his head to look at her. “Yeah, I know that  _ now _ .”

“Well, what happened to her?”

Zuko sighed and looked back at the night sky. “At Boiling Rock, she turned against Azula for me. She cares more about me more than she fears Azula.”

“Wow,” said Katara, “she must love you a lot.” 

“Can I tell you a secret?” 

“Oh, are we not already doing that?” Katara asked, copying Zuko. He smiled and rolled over to face Katara. 

“I don’t think I love her as much as she loves me,” he told her. 

“Aren’t we in quite the dilemma?” 

“Yep, we are,” Zuko agreed. “But… someone else made me realize that.” 

Katara looked at him, studying his face looking for clues. 

“I think someone else made me realize that I didn’t feel the same way about Aang,” she told him. “Someone else had to come in and make me confused.” 

“Oh yeah?” He moved closer to her. Katara couldn't breathe. “What happened?” 

“I didn’t trust him at first,” she explained. She sat back up, Zuko’s proximity to her making her head spin. 

Zuko sat up too. “How come?”

“Because he hurt me. I thought I could trust him, but then he turned around and betrayed my trust,” she said. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. 

Zuko was quiet. He cocked his head, as if telling her to continue. 

“I thought he turned away from us. That he wanted to keep hurting us again.” 

“Sounds like a real jerk,” he said. 

“He was. He was a jerk for a long time,” Katara explained. “But… but he’s not so bad. He came back. He earned my trust. We became friends.” 

“So he’s a friend now?” 

“I consider him one of my closest friends,” she replied. “What about you?”

“There was this girl. I hurt her. She was vulnerable around me and I turned around and took what she loved away from her.” Zuko looked her in the eyes. His hand found hers. She laced her fingers in his. 

“What happened?” 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every minute I was home, I thought about how much I hurt her. How I needed to make it up to her. It took so long to gain back her trust, but… but I think she trusts me again.”

“She does,” Katara told him. “Trust me, she does.” 

They stared at each other again, sitting cross legged across from each other. Katara could feel the blood rushing through her ears as she studied Zuko, who was looking at her as if he had never seen her before. She watched as he leaned closer to her, felt herself moving to meet him. Their lips met in the middle, his soft against hers. She felt his hand move up her back into her hair, balling up her hair in his fist. Katara kissed him back, pressing into him, his movements matching hers. She couldn’t help but think how kissing Zuko was much different than kissing Aang. Zuko was fire and passion, her opposite. When they broke apart, Zuko kept his hand in Katara’s hair, their foreheads touching as they both breathed heavily. 

“Well, that was…” Zuko said, finally removing his hand from her hair, backing away from her. 

“Amazing,” Katara said, not even bothering to stop herself. 

Zuko stared at her, red creeping up his neck, but smiling nevertheless. “Are you still confused?”

Katara shook her head. “Are you?” 

“No.” 

“Great.” 

And their lips met again. Happy. Passionate. Desperate. Everything both could have wanted. 


End file.
